Half to elisha w



(No Model.)

T. L. RIVERS.

TRUNK FASTENER. No. 356,051. Patented Jan. 11, 1887.

N PETERS.'Phalu-Lilhagmpher. Whhmglo l. D. C.

I UNTTED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

THOMAS LANGDON RIVERS, OF NEE ARK, NE\V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE'- HALF TO ELISHA W. GOBLE, OF SAME PLACE.

TlRUNlb-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 356,051, dated January 11, 1887.

Application filed July 23, 1886. Serial No. 208,886. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I. THOMAS LANGDON Riv- ERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trunk Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fastenings for the lids of trunks, boxes, &c.; and the object of my invention is to produce a fastening in which the working parts shall be free from exposure to injury and soarranged as to mutually relieve each other of the strain incident to use, wherebyI greatly increase the strength and durability of this class of fastenings.

My invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention maybe fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved trunk-fastener. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 4 illustrates the several parts of the fastener detached from each other.

My invention particularly embraces that class of fasteners shown and described in Letters Patent No. 82,988, granted October 13, 1868, to Louis R-anson, in which the fastener is composed of two parts, one of which is to be attached to the lid of the trunk or box, and which carries the latch, while the other part is secured to the body of the trunk or box and receives and holds said latch.

In the said drawings, A designates that part of my improvedfastener which is designed to be secured to the lid of the trunk or box, and which carries the latch, said part being known as the base, while B is the part which is designed to be secured to the body of the trunk or box and to receive the latch, said part being known as the keeper.

The base A is an open metal casting of substantially the general outline shown and having at one end a perforated lug, a, and at its sides, contiguous to its opposite end, two perforated lugs, a a, each of said lugs being des1 gned to receive screws or rivets for attaching said base to the lid. The inner side of the rear end of base A is formed with aledge, a extending side of the front end of the base is formed with a similar ledge, a Upon these two ledges rest the opposite ends of aspring-plate, A, as shown. As these ledges are arranged below the plane of the outer face of the base, the spring-plate will be arranged within the base out of the way. The sides m of the base A are raised, as shown, and on the inner faces of the said raised sides of the base A are formed two oppositely-disposed downwardly-opening sockets,a*, and j ust back ofsaid sockets a crossbar or bridge, a, is formed, which connects the two raised sides of the base. The front end of the said base is formed with an open loop, a,

transversely of said base, while the inner and the front ends of the raised sides of the base terminate in two lugs, 0 projecting from the upper face of said base.

G designates the latch, which .is a separate integral casting having a rectangular body, 0, from the front end of which extends a neck, 0, which is formed at its outer end with an enlarged head, 0 Upon the sides of the latch -O, near the inner end of its body 0, are formed two studs, 0 which are designed to enter the open sockets ct",'and are held therein by the spring-plate A. The inner end of said latch is turned or bent down, as shown at c, and receives the direct pressure of the spring A.

It will be observed that the reduced neck of the latch, combined with the head, forms a T- shaped extension for the same. On the inner side of the neck of said latch are provided projecting nibs or lugs 0', (preferably two in number,) which lugs or nibs are adapted to be received in the open loop a provided at the front end of the basewhen the latch is swung down, and by this means relieve all lateral strain from such latch.

The keeper B is similar in general contour or outline to the base A, having raised sides 1) and formed at one end with a perforated lug,

two upwardly and rearwardly inclined lugs, b spaced apart, as shown, which act with the inclined under side, 0 of the head 0 of the catch 0, and also with the shoulders c of said head.

When the lid of the trunk or box is shut down, the head 0" of the latch slides up over the lugs b and snaps automatically over said lugs, so that the latter engage the shoulders 0 of the head and fasten the lid down, the press me of spring A serving to hold the latch in locked position. When the latch is pulled outward to disengage the keeper, the cross-bar or bridge a serves to hold said latch at right angles to the base A against the pressure of spring A.

The peculiar formation of the several parts of the fastener is such that none of the side or end strains come upon the pivotal lugs of the latch, and thus the fastener is rendered very strong and durable.

It will be understood that when the parts are locked in position the neck of the latch rests on the cross-bar 1) between the lugs I), while the head of the latch catches around or against said lugs. Special stress is laid on the arrangement ofthe inclined lugs, as by means of the same the latching of the trunk is automatically effected, and when locked all strain is taken off the axles or pivots of the latch. The small nibs or spurs r serve to break the lateral strain and motion which are found in every trunk-lid.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by-Letters Patent, is-

1. In a trunk-fastener, the base A, having the open loop (4 combined with the latch having the spurs or nibs to fit in the loop when closed down.

' 2. Inatrunk-fastener,thecombination,with a base, of a springactuated latch pivoted thereto and having an enlarged head and a keeper provided with the spaced lugs beneath which the head of the latch engages, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS LANGDON RIVERS.

Witnesses:

AMBRosE HUNT, DAVID SrIRo. 

